Tag Archives: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

Musical Monday: Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) – Musical #809

Studio:
Produced by Executive Productions, Distributed by Warner Bros.

Director:
Jean Yarbrough

Starring:
Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer, Dorothy Ford, Shaye Cogan, James Alexander, Barbara Brown, David Stollery, Arthur Shields

Plot:
Two unlikely babysitters, Jack (Costello) and Mr. Dinkle (Abbott) are hired to watch Donald Larkin (Stollery). While they are reading “Jack & the Beanstalk” to him, both babysitters fall asleep. Told in a dream sequence, the pair are transported into the story. In the story, Jack (Costello again) and his mother (Ford) live in a village that has hit hard times and the Giant (Baer) has kidnapped the Princess Eloise (Cogan), a goose that lays golden eggs, and Prince Arthur (Alexander), who is pretending to be a to be a troubadour. When Jack is asked to sell the family cow, he squanders the money by buying magic beans. The bean grows into a giant stalk that goes into the sky. Jack climbs the stalk to rescue everyone that the Giant has kidnapped, and is followed by the town butcher Mr. Dinklepuss (Abbott again), who’s interested in the golden goose.

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Musical Monday: Keep ‘Em Flying (1941)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Keep ‘Em Flying (1941) – Musical No. 706

keep em flying

Studio:
Universal Pictures

Director:
Arthur Lubin

Starring:
Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Martha Raye, Carol Bruce, Dick Foran, William Gargan, Charles Lang,

Plot:
Jinx Roberts (Foran) is a trick flier who joins the U.S. Army Air Corps. His two assistants Heathcliff (Costello) and Blackie (Abbott) follow him and to the base. The two enlist and fall for twin sisters Gloria (Raye) and Barbara (also Raye). Jinx finds trouble when he’s viewed by a hot shot, especially by Craig Morrison (Gargan) and USO hostess Linda Joyce (Bruce), who Jinx falls for.

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Musical Monday: Buck Privates (1941)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

buck privatesThis week’s musical:
Buck Privates (1941) – Musical #680

Studio:
Universal Pictures

Director:
Arthur Lubin

Starring:
Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lee Bowman, Jane Frazee, Nat Pendleton, Alan Curtis, Samuel S. Hinds, Harry Strang, Nella Walker, Shemp Howard
Themselves: The Andrews Sisters

Plot:
Street vendors Slicker Smith (Abbott) and Herbie Brown (Costello) mistakenly enlist in the U.S. Army while running from the police. Once in the Army, the policeman (Pendleton) who was chasing them is also their sergeant. Also in the Army is wealthy Randolph Parker III (Bowman) who is used to getting his way and clashes with his chauffer Bob Martin (Curtis) who has also enlisted, now that they are on the same level. Both Parker and Martin are in love with camp hostess Judy Grey (Frazee).

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